Dave Pigeon, by Swapna Haddow, is a hilarious, laugh out
loud book aimed for children 6+. It’s
typed by Skipper (a pigeon) and tells the tale of Skipper and his mate Dave,
trying to outwit a mean cat. They want to get the cat out of the house so they
can live in harmony with the Human Lady.
The story is told from the viewpoint of a pigeon, and if a
pigeon spoke human English, I think this is exactly how he would sound. Skipper addresses us, the readers, ‘if you can read this, you obviously
understand pigeons,’ which draws you into the book straight away. Plus Dave interrupts the actual story by
having conversations on what the chapter titles should be. This had me
roaring out loud.
Skipper and Dave are a great team, although I think Dave has
an undeserved high opinion of himself. Skipper seems to be the real brains of
the operation. The Human Lady is a fabulous example of a compassionate kind
person. And you can’t help but wonder if mean cat is as mean as the pigeons
suggest.
The short chapters are stuffed with jokes, and the superb humorous illustrations by Sheena Dempsey add much to the story. I imagine new readers would find Dave Pigeon
incredibly funny and accessible. I also think it would be a great book to read
aloud either in a classroom or at bedtime… although your child might be
laughing too much to ever fall asleep.
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